The present invention relates to absorbent articles that include a stimulation material. More specifically, the invention relates to an absorbent article, such as training pants, that provides the wearer with a noticeable change in sensation upon fluid insult.
Absorbent articles, such as children's training pants for example, have been designed with temperature change particles to provide a temperature change sensation upon urination in an attempt to enhance a child's recognition of when urination occurs. As can be appreciated, such recognition can be an important step in the toilet training process. The temperature change sensation can often be the result of the stimulation material being positioned between the topsheet and the absorbent core of the article.
Unfortunately, in certain circumstances, the design of such articles may not be completely satisfactory. For example, the stimulation material included within the article can, in certain instances, be abrasive to the wearer. This abrasiveness can be particularly notable where the stimulation material is positioned close to the wearer's skin in use, which is generally a desirable configuration to maximize the temperature change sensation experienced by the wearer. Moreover, the stimulation material may provide a rapid temperature change sensation, but it may not last as long as desired to assist with the toilet training process.
One attempt to resolve this issue has been to place large quantities of stimulation material, such as 75 wt % sorbitol, into a single layer coform fabric made from 67% by weight polypropylene meltblown fibers and 33% by weight pulp fibers to form a signal element member. However, the cost and complexity of producing such a signaling element can be prohibitively high. For example, the coform process tends to be very complex, and sorbitol tends to be a relatively high cost material. Furthermore, the maximum stimulation effect may nonetheless be reached relatively quickly, such as during or near the first insult, despite the coform fabric.
Thus, there is a need for an absorbent article with an improved signal element that can delay or prolong the effects of the stimulation material, that has the same or a relatively lower cost and/or complexity of manufacture than currently available signal elements, and that can potentially provide a pleasing surface to the wearer.